Utena Tenjou
"''I don't want the power to revolutionize the world, but Himemiya needs me!"'' ''- Tenjou Utena'' Utena Tenjou is a student in her second year of middle school at Ohtori Academy. She wears a boy's uniform in order to be more like her "prince". She is the protagonist of the series in every version. Appearance Initially, Utena is portrayed with blonde hair and wearing a modified version of the boys' school uniform which is pink in colour. In her final design in the anime and manga, Utena has straight pink hair that reaches past her shoulders and blue eyes. She wears a dark blue blazer and red shorts. Her uniform is modified when duelling by the addition of white epaulettes to her shoulders and a gold aiguillette through Anthy's magic. In the movie, Utena's long wavy hair is normally tied up so as to appear very short, and comes undone when wearing her duelist outfit. Her regular uniform is a black and white blazer and matching trousers, which are unlike the normal boys' uniform, and she wears a navy cap. Utena's trousers are replaced with shorts in her duelling outfit, and the addition of gold epaulettes to her shoulders, a red aiguillette, and red colouring to her blazer. Story Utena's parents died when she was 6 years old. In the manga, she had wandered through the town until coming upon a river and falling into it. In the anime, at her parents funeral, she lay in a coffin, awaiting her own death, believing there is no reason to live anymore since all humans will eventually perish. In both versions, Utena is saved by Dios and given a Rose Signet. Dios tells her to never lose her nobility even as she grows up, starting the events of the series. In both the anime and manga, Utena unintentionally becomes a Duelist and wins Anthy as the Rose Bride. Though critical of the Duels for objectifying Anthy, her desires to protect Anthy as well as a drive to act like a Prince lead her to become the Duels' most prominent Champion. As the series passes, her nobility is continuously tested, until she is finally forced to confront her own hypocrisy. In the anime's finale, Akio tries to convince Utena to become his princess, and despite being reminded of her own failings and her feelings for him, Utena goes against him in the duel called Revolution. Her revived dedication to become a prince shocks Akio, and causes the destruction of the illusionary castle above the arena, where Utena gets the upper hand- only to get stabbed in the back by Anthy. Her sword taken from her, Utena is forced to watch Anthy being impaled by the swords of hatred while Akio tries to open the Rose Gate with her sword. But, after being goaded by Dios, Utena drags herself to the Rose Gate and pulls it open with her bare hands. Behind the Gate is Anthy, inside a coffin, who pleads for Utena to not try to save her. Utena doesn't listen and begs Anthy to take her hand. Upon doing so, the coffin breaks off of the arena and Utena is pierced by the swords in Anthy's place, which then destroy the arena. Some time after, people are starting to forget that Utena was ever at the academy, with Akio commenting that she became "another side leftover to be pitied". But, Utena did indeed get her wish, and managed to free Anthy from her bonds to the school and Akio. The anime ends with Anthy leaving the academy to find Utena. In the movie, Utena travels to Ohtori Academy after supposedly breaking up with her past boyfriend Touga. It is also assumed that after her separation from Touga she was in an emotional turmoil that led her to the academy. However, she sees him on her first day on campus. Her hair is cut short, giving her more of a male's appearance, causing Saionji to initially mistake her for a boy. Additionally, Utena is a more bisexual character in the movie being coquettish with Wakaba and does not seem to mind her more boyish appearance. She is extremely troubled by Touga's apparent abandonment of her, and her interactions with Anthy express a level of introversion not present in the anime series, though she also shows an unpredictable streak and is once physically violent towards Anthy in anger. This is said by fans to be Utena's adoption of a more masculine personality. Initially Utena's aim to be a prince is more subtle than prominent compared to the anime series. It is Touga's supposed abandonment of her that caused her to feel that she must be more independent and a "prince" by nature. Though she states that Touga was always the prince she wanted, the movie deals with her own metamorphosis in becoming a prince. Many fans noted that Utena and Anthy seemingly swap personalities in the movie, and that Utena is the one who must be saved by Anthy. Their physical appearances also seem to mirror their respective series incarnations (seeing that Utena has wavy hair and Anthy has straight hair, which was the opposite in the series). 'Gallery' Design_GuideProps_03.png Design_GuideProps_08.png Series_ep09_070.jpg rose crest manga.png Category:Characters Category:Female Characters